5 new working rooms coming to Kelowna, Kamloops hospitals

The two biggest hospitals in the BC Interior will soon have more surgical capacity.

Three new operations rooms will be opening at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) in Kamloops and two will open at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) in 2023.

“We have made tremendous progress towards rescheduling and completing surgical procedures postponed in the Interior due to the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental emergencies and staff redeployments,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“This investment in additional operating rooms in Kamloops and Kelowna will significantly increase surgical capacity throughout the region and help more patients receive their surgery faster and closer to home.”

In Kamloops, the three new operating rooms at RIH will support an additional 5,400 hours of surgery, or 3,420 procedures, annually.

It will bring the number of base operating rooms at the hospital up to 13.

In Kelowna, the addition of two new operating rooms at the Interior Health and Surgical Center will increase the number of rooms from 14 to 16.

Once fully operational, they will support an additional 3,600 hours of surgery, or 2,500 procedures, annually.

Interior Health president and CEO Susan Brown called the increase in operating rooms “welcomed news” for staff, physicians and patients.

“Our hospitals continue to feel the pressures created over the last few years as we postponed surgical services to focus on critical care, which is creating a surge in demand for these services today,” she noted.

“The additional funding will help meet our commitment to drive down wait times for patients and increase our capacity on an ongoing basis.”

The RIH expansion is supported by a one-time $6.7-million capital investment, while the KGH expansion is supported by a one-time $6.9-million capital investment.